Ways of forming imperatives
There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.
Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:
Second Person Affirmation
Shíká | ’anilyeed. |
1-for | 2-run.I |
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.) |
Second Person Negation
Optative
Mósí | ch’óółt’e’. |
cat | out-3-2-take.Opt |
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]] |
Optative + lágo
Mósí | ch’óółt’e’ | lágo. |
cat | out-3-2-carry.O | hope.not |
Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out. |
t’áadoo V-í
T’áadoo | ’anit’íní! |
neg | 2-do.NI-Í |
Don’t do that! |
Fourth Person Affirmative
Hatáaldi | jigháahgo | hozhdísin | łeh. |
ceremony-at | 4-go.I-GO | 4-respect.NI | usually |
One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony. |
Fourth Person Negation
Doo | ’ájíníi | da! |
neg | 4-say.NI | -neg |
One doesn’t say that! |
The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.
In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.
Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].
An example search has returned 50 entries
Hííłch’į’go ’íinda ta’iideeshnih.
evening.GO until 1-mix.dough.F’Áko ’índa yáníłti’ bidííniid.
after.that 2.talk.I 3-1.told.P'Áłahji’ tó dilchxoshí síníł’ą́.
always water popping-Í 3-2-keep.SPN-ąąh
-í + -jígo
over in the direction of the place where
bookmarkÁt’ah ’índa shaa náádíídááł.
later 1-to again-2-come.FBee ’atiní ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó bee ’azk’az.
freezer TOP extremely 3-with 3-cold.SPNCh’ééh jiyáán náánááshdą́ą́’.
watermelon again-1-eat.RChidíłtsooí bidááh síńzį́į dooleeł.
car-yellow-REL 3-for 2-stand.SPN FUTDa’ dibé nee hólǫ́?
Q sheep 2-with 3-exist.NIdadiilyį́į́h
pl-3DO-1dpl-melt.it.IDeenásts’aa’ shił naaldloosh ńt’éé’ shimá siiłtsą́, yiniinaa násineestsxas.
ram 1-with 3-trot.CI past 1-mother 1-3-see.P 3-because 1-3-whip.PDibé bighan báátis dah yiishte’.
Sheep corral 3-over up 1-climb.PDibé yah ánáádanołkaad!
sheep inside semelit-pl-2pl-gather.IDíí dziłígíí shádi’ááh bich’ijígo ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąąd.
this mountain-Comp southward 3-toward-GO one-behind-another 3Pl-scatter.NPdoo deighánígóó
Dzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.
bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NPHa’át’íísh nizhé’é nayiisnii’?
what-Q 2-father 3-3-buy.PHa’ąądi dibé bighan.
areal-other.side sheep 3-corralHaashíyee’ ’ahíłká ’ańdiijah.
let’s.see each.other-for together-1du-run.pl.Fhadííníłbįįd
3DO-2-fill.something.up.with.it.Pfill something up with it, 2nd person singular
bookmarkhaiłgéésh
3DO-3-cut.it.out.Ihajíígeed
3DO-4-dig.it.out.Pháidí
John dáádílkałdóó sizį́į́ dóó ’áádę́ę́’ déez’į́į́’.
John door-from 3-stand.SPN and there-from 3-look.CIJoołísh ’atiin tsé’naa ’ahííníłhan doodaii’ daats’í ’anít’i’ báhátis ’ahííníłhan?
ball-Q road across 3-2-throw.P or perhjaps fence 3-over 3-2-throw.PKingóó ’anááda’iisdee’.
town-to again-pl-3-go.RKinŁánídi ’ííníshta’ ńt’éé’ ’áádóó t’áá ’ániidígo ’áadi náánísdzáá ńtéé’ ’ééhosisya’ lá.
Flagstaff-in 1-study.P past and.then just recently there-at 1-return.P past 1-get.hazy.P discMósí yázhí chizhtah yiyah yilwod.
kitten woodpile.among 3-under 3-run.PNahółtą́ą́’ laanaa t’óó daniidzin.
rain hope just pl-3pl-want.Onidadiilyeeł
pl-3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Fcarry a ropelike thing around, 1st person plural
bookmarknisélá
3DO-1-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Pcarry a ropelike thing around, 1st person singular
bookmarkNiłísh bééhosin doodaii’ biłísh bééhozin?
2-with-Q 3-know.CI or 3-with-Q 3-know.CIDo you know or does s/he know?
bookmark- -ísh enclitic for yes/no questionsfind in Navajo Questions
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- accompaniment
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- doodaii’ particle orfind in Navajo Questions
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
Ólta’di ndeii’néego ’ashkii ła’ kin bizánághahdę́ę́’ shich’į’ ch’élwodgo bił ’ahídégoh.
school-at 1pl-play.I-GO boy some building-3-around-from 1-to out-3-run.P-GO 3-with 3-1-collide.PWhen we were playing at school a boy came running at me around the corner of the building and I collided with him.
bookmark- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -zánághah aroundfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -dę́ę́’ from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ch’į’ to, towardfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
Sáanii ’éétsoh bi’oh ’ádaníłtso.
women coat 3-less.than indef-Pl-3.size.Nt’ahdii
T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh lágo.
neg 2-oversleep.O LÁGOT’ááłáhádi kin binída’shiilzhiizh dóó hooghangóó dah ńdiikai.
once-at house 3-into-Pl-1dpl-dance.P home-toward start start-1dpl-go.pl.PT’iis bąąh nidaohna’.
cottonwood 3-on pl-2dpl-climb.ITáá’ daats’í shinááhaigo Hwéeldi hoolyéégóó shił dah ’adiiná níigo halne’ łeh shicheii.
three maybe 1-year.P-GO Fort.Sumner-at areal-be.called-toward 1-with start.off 3-migrate.P 3-say.NI-GO 4-tell. usually 1-grandfatherAs my grandfather tells it, he was about three years old when he started off with the family on the move to Fort Sumner.
bookmark